The Enemy Within
by Ryeleele
Summary: The invasion of Abnegation doesn't take place at the end of Divergent. Instead, the invasion takes place two years later, when Jeanine finds and exploits an initiate Divergent, who just happens to be Four's cousin. Will Jeanine's plan succeed, or will Eleanor's fellow initiates figure out her secret? Submit and find out.
1. Introduction

The young girl opened her eyes to find herself in the mirrored room again, her aptitude test was complete. She glanced at the Erudite volunteer who gave her a pitying look.

"I'm afraid there was a problem with your test. Wait here." the light haired Erudite woman instructed, before exiting the room.

_What did I do wrong?_ Eleanor thought, playing with the sleeves of her grey shirt nervously. She avoided glancing around the room, knowing she wasn't supposed to look at herself in the mirror, dreading what would happen if her uncle Marcus found out when he came for dinner that night. She knew it was impossible that he would ever know if she indulged her selfishness by looking in the mirror, but he would suspect and suspicions always turned into facts with him. Eleanor sighed and impatiently waited until the Erudite volunteer returned, but she did not return, instead another Erudite woman entered the room. Eleanor recognised her as their leader, Jeanine Matthews.

"Eleanor Rinley." Jeanine said, "Your test results are inconclusive. Fortunately for me, you're a Divergent. I'm sure you're wondering what that means. You tested positive for more than one faction, which is very dangerous for you."

A million questions raced through Eleanor's head, ranging from what a Divergent is, to what her test results were, to why it was dangerous to be Divergent, and why it was a good thing for Jeanine.

"Don't worry, Eleanor. I'm here to help you, I want to keep you safe." Jeanine said, interrupting the girl's thoughts.

"Why?" Eleanor asked, mentally scolded herself. She wasn't supposed to speak out of turn.

"Because your results intrigue me. You tested positive for Amity and Dauntless, two very different Factions." Jeanine replied, "I want to study you, to understand your Divergence and what it means. I believe this will mutually benefit both of us, your safety in exchange for your cooperation. Do we have a deal?"

Eleanor nodded, knowing she had no choice in the matter.

"Tomorrow is your choosing ceremony, you will either join me in Erudite, or you will join the Dauntless." Jeanine instructed, then added as a warning, "You will tell no one of your Divergence, or this conversation. If you choose a faction other than the two presented to you the consequences will be grave. Understand?"

"Yes." Eleanor replied, swallowing a lump in her throat. _At least I don't have to stay Abnegation_ she thought, eyeing her dull, plain grey clothing.

Jeanine grinned, "Excellent. You have a lot to think about, I suggest you return home and do so."

Eleanor nodded and left the testing room.


	2. The Influence of Family

Eleanor sat at the dinner table trying to hide her nerves as her mother and Marcus were discussing current events, and from what Eleanor had paid attention to, their conversation something to do with Erudite releasing negative articles about Abnegation, which had become a regular occurrence recently. Eleanor had mixed feelings about Erudite's slanderous claims, knowing there was some truth to it, but she knew better than to share her opinion. As Eleanor picked at her food, her thoughts wandered to her test results, not noticing when the subject of the conversation changed.

"Eleanor." her mother said, causing Eleanor's eyes toward her mother, "How did your test go?"

"Fine." Eleanor replied, and after receiving a stern look from her uncle added, "Thank you for asking."

"I'm sure she'll make the right choice tomorrow." Marcus said, his words would have been reassuring, comforting even, if it wasn't for the threatening tone in his voice. She knew he saw her as a chance to redeem himself after his own son had transferred, she knew he had assumed that she would stay. Marcus often lectured her on the importance of faction loyalty, referring to his own son as a traitor. She knew he couldn't make her stay, and she never had any intention of staying. Eleanor often thought about what life would be like in Amity, laughing with others, singing songs, how peaceful life would be. But transferring to Amity was no longer an option now. She sighed and glanced down at her plate, then realised she had hardly touched her food. She glanced at the plates of her mother and uncle, who had almost finished their meals.

"There are starving factionless children, yet you waste your food." Her mother scolded, raising her voice, "Your selfishness is astounding young lady! First you vainly waste food you think you're too good for, then you take away from the time Marcus and I are supposed to have."

Eleanor opened her mouth to speak, to apologize. When in reality she wanted to point out that she had remained silent at the dinner table, and that she had only spoke when she was asked a question.

"If she doesn't want to eat she can starve. Donate the rest of her dinner and breakfast to the factionless tomorrow, they will appreciate it, and they need it more than she does." Marcus said, "You may go to your room, Eleanor."

"I apologise for my selfishness and my vanity. I hope to better myself in the future, thank you for correcting my wrongdoings." Eleanor said tonelessly, as she stood to leave. She was used to apologizing over little things, that most parents would have over looked. Any other parent, she thought, would have attributed her lack of appetite to nerves and try to calm her down. She was surprised Marcus had not offered to punish her, as he had often done in the past. But she figured she was being let off easy to assure her return to Abnegation.

Eleanor entered her room and sat on her bed with a sigh, thinking about her conversation with Jeanine. Erudite or Dauntless. Those were her options. She briefly wondered what it would have been like to be normal, to receive one result and to know where she belonged, with five factions to choose from, instead of two. She briefly weighed the pros and cons of each faction in her head, then realised Jeanine had hardly given her much of a choice. Dauntless was the clear answer, it was one of her results, and she wouldn't see Jeanine as often as she would have if she chose Erudite. Though Jeanine promised her safety, Eleanor didn't trust her. _Tomorrow I become Dauntless_ Eleanor thought, wondering why Jeanine had given her the option of choosing Dauntless at all.

* * *

James Pierce was led into his family room by his mother, and was surprised to see Jeanine Matthew sitting on one of the sofas, waiting for his arrival.  
"James, have a seat." Jeanine instructed, dismissing his mother from the room with a wave.

James obediently sat on the sofa across from her, "What are you doing here?"

Jeanine checked to make sure they were alone before stating, "Your aptitude results were Erudite, as expected. Do you intend to remain with us, or do you intend to transfer?"

"You're not supposed to ask me that." James said, refusing to answer the question.

"Nor am I supposed to know your test results." Jeanine said, "Will you be transferring?" she repeated, her grey eyes narrowing on her nephew's icy blue ones.

"Yes." James replied, knowing he had no choice but to answer her question, "Why does it matter?"

"You will transfer to Dauntless." Jeanine said matter-of-factly, "I have an important task for you."

"What is it?" James asked, confused that his aunt seemed to be taking the news of his transfer so well. He assumed she would be unhappy with him, as most family members who lost someone to another faction were.

"If an Abnegation girl by the name of Eleanor Rinley transfers to Dauntless, as I suspect she will, you will keep an eye on her. You will give me reports when I find the time to visit you, both on her actions and those of your Dauntless trainers. If she does not transfer to Dauntless, you're free to do as you wish." Jeanine instructed.

"Why is a girl from Abnegation so important?" James asked, it made sense that Jeanine would want to know what Dauntless was up to, and he doubted as an Initiate he would meet any of the leaders.

"That is on a need to know basis. Faction before blood, James. Even though you are transferring, your results say differently. You will still be Erudite at your core, pretending to be Dauntless will make you no different." Jeanine said, her eyes trained on her nephew, watching for any hint of hesitation, "Do not fail me, if you leave anything out and I find out about it, you will be executed."

"I won't fail you, assisting in your plan is the only logical thing to do." James said, acting as if his aunt's words hadn't phased him. Despite his strong front, Jeanine could tell her scare tactic had worked, the little colour James had drained from his face, leaving him paler than before.

"You may not understand the necessity of my plan now, or its purpose. But once you have proven yourself you will be provided with more information. I'll see you at the choosing ceremony." With that, Jeanine stood and left the room, knowing that James would complete his assigned task.


	3. The Choosing Ceremony

Eleanor entered the hub the next day filled with nervous took a deep breath and told herself to relax. She wasn't afraid of the choosing ceremony, she had attended once, four years ago when her cousin had transferred to Dauntless. Her uncle and Mother had been furious at his betrayal, and she had lost one of her only friends. She vaguely wondered if she would see Tobias in Dauntless, the possibly hadn't occurred to her until now. _Do I even want to see him? Would he want to see me? _she thought as she followed her mother up the stairs of the hub, a lot could change in four years. After Eleanor and her mother reached the twentieth floor of the hub Eleanor joined the line of sixteen-year-olds, while her mother sat with her fellow members of Abnegation. In line Eleanor stood between a girl from Erudite and a boy from Candor, wondering if they were as nervous as she was, and which faction they would be choosing. Eleanor watched as Jeanine Matthews approached the podium, and the crowd grew silent as the Choosing Ceremony began. Eleanor listened to Jeanine's speech impatiently, and was relieved when the Jeanine called the first name. Eleanor watched as dependent after dependent made their choice, many chose to return to their original faction, while a few made the risky choice of transferring. Eleanor wondered how many of them would have their parents visit on visiting day, and how many parents would be understanding of the decision to transfer.

"Eleanor Rinley." Jeanine said.

Eleanor approached Jeanine, who handed her a knife. The look Jeanine gave was stern and threatening, a reminder of Eleanor's only two options. She briefly thought about transferring to Amity and disobeying the Erudite woman, but decided against it, not knowing what Jeanine was capable of. Eleanor cut the palm of her hand, biting her lip as it stung, then held her hand over the bowl of lit coals. Eleanor heard the murmur of disapproval from Abnegation, and smirked imaging the look of betrayal, disappointment, and possibly anger on the faces of her mother and Marcus. Eleanor quickly took her place with her fellow Dauntless initiates, realising that she was the first transfer to choose Dauntless.

The choosing ceremony progressed, and Eleanor paid attention special attention to those originally from Dauntless, and anyone brave enough to betray their family and transfer to another faction.

The next transfer to join Dauntless was an Erudite boy, James Pierce. Eleanor watched as he made his way toward the Dauntless section, he had dark black hair, that went to his ears. He stood beside her and smiled, he was moderately tall, with a wiry and lean build. Eleanor smiled back briefly, then turned her attention back to the choosing ceremony.

Jeanine continued to read off the names of initiates, the next transfer to join Dauntless was a boy from Amity. His name was Daniel Montague, and he ignored the murmurs of disapproval that spread throughout his previous faction and joined the Dauntless initiates. Eleanor glanced over at him, he was tall, much taller than herself. His messy black hair was fairly long, falling in front of his eyes, and he was fairly muscular. Eleanor thought of herself in comparison, though she wasn't short, she wasn't exactly tall either, she was average height and scrawny. Daniel glanced at her with a questioning look and Eleanor's first instinct was to look away, she wasn't supposed to stare. But then she remembered she wasn't Abnegation anymore, and that rule no longer applied to her.

"Can I help you?" Daniel finally asked, as he brushed some of his hair aside, and she noticed that his eyes were a dark forest green tone.

"I was just wondering why someone from Amity would choose Dauntless." Eleanor said, holding her ground. She had always been talkative and curious in Abnegation, a habit that had gotten her into trouble many times as a child. As she grew older she learned to play along, planning on transferring the second that she could.

"I could ask you the same thing." Daniel said, watching the girl with interest. He had never see a girl so outspoken before, which was a surprising trait to find in Abnegation.

Eleanor grinned slightly, then turned her attention to the ceremony.

* * *

After the Choosing Ceremony concluded, the first faction to leave was Dauntless. They ran down the stairs of the hub, cheering and pumping their fists as they went, their initiates following after them. The Dauntless and their initiates ran all the way to the train tracks, where their initiates were gathered together as the train approached. The initiates watched as the Dauntless members closer to the train began jumping on board. The initiates followed suit, most of them making it onto the train successfully, with the exception of a girl from Erudite, who had fallen off and a boy from Candor who was too afraid to jump.

"Looks like everyone doesn't make it." Charlotte, a Candor transfer said. Charlotte was taller than most girls, and was around average height for boys. Her dark brown hair was thick and straight, reaching her shoulders, with bangs that fell just below her eyebrows. She had an olive skin tone, paired with forest green eyes and a lean build with moderate curves.

"That's not fair," Katerina, an Erudite transfer said, "How are we supposed to be prepared for that? They should have stopped the train."

"It's not about being fair, it's about being Dauntless." Charlotte said to the smaller girl, "They wouldn't have lasted a day in Dauntless if they can't even jump onto a train."

Katerina opened her mouth to argue, but said nothing, knowing the taller girl was right.

The train ride continued in silence, until Charlotte noticed that the Dauntless members in the cars ahead of them were jumping off of the train.

"Looks like we're here." Charlotte said.

"We have to jump? What if we fall?" Katerina asked.

"Don't worry about falling," Daniel said to reassure the girl, "Just think about how fun jumping will be."

How can they be so calm? Eleanor thought, as their car of the train approached the roof.

"We need to jump, now." Charlotte said, then looked at Katerina, "Or become factionless."

Daniel, Charlotte and another girl from Candor were the first to leap off of the train and onto the roof, Eleanor and the rest of the initiates quickly followed suit, not wanting to be left behind. Most of the initiates made it onto the rooftop, only sustaining minor injuries. One Dauntless born initiate almost fell off of the roof, but was pulled to safety.

"Listen up everyone!" A man called in a loud voice, "I'm Max, one of the leaders of your new faction. Several stories below us is the member's entrance to our compound. If you can't muster the will to jump off, you don't belong here. Our initiates have the privilege of going first."

"We have to jump off of a roof?" Katerina asked. She was short and thin with long, straight dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

"I don't see another way down." Max said, his eyes scanning the initiates on the rooftop, "Who wants to go first?"


	4. An Unexpected Reunion

All of the initiates stood still, no one made a move. A minute passed when finally someone stepped forward. She was tall, with dark brown hair that fell to her shoulders in waves. She had clear green eyes, with deep, dark tanned skin. The initiates watched as the girl, a Candor transferred named Abigail, walked towards the edge of the roof where Max stood. All eyes were focuses on Abigail as she climbed onto the ledge of the roof, hesitated for a second, then leapt off of the edge screaming as she went flying towards the ground. Abigail landed hard, the net cradled her body, preventing her from hitting the ground. A few pairs of hands reached out to help her, and she grabbed the first hand she could reach.

"Congratulations." the Dauntless woman said after she helped Abigail onto the platform, "What's your name?"

Abigail thought for a moment then answered, "Abi."

"Four, make the announcement."

"First jumper - Abi!" Four called into the darkness.

Following his announcement a crowd appeared, they cheered and pumped their fists at Abi's accomplishment. A few seconds later the screams of another initiate was heard, as Charlotte flew towards the ground, and landed safely on the net. As Charlotte was helped off of the net, the next initiate landed, followed shortly by another. Four reached out his hand to help one of the initiates, an Abnegation girl, off of the net and onto the platform. His eyes widened in surprise once he saw the familiar light brown eyes, and auburn hair of his cousin.

"Tobias?" Eleanor asked, shocked.

"Call me Four." He correct, "Don't tell me you joined Dauntless to see me, that's what visiting day is for."

Eleanor looked down to hide her disappointment. She knew she must have caught Four off guard, as she was caught off guard herself, but she hadn't expected him to be mad. She knew that he had left because of Marcus, but maybe he hadn't liked her either. Maybe he just pretended to care about her until he left. Eleanor forced herself to calm down, then looked up again, "I didn't join just to see you. Get over yourself."

"Eleanor I-"

"Don't call me that." Eleanor interrupted with a hint of annoyance, still hurt by his words, _If he can change his name, then so can I_ she thought, "It's Lena now."

"You should go join the other initiates." Four said, knowing there was a better time and place to have the conversation he needed to have with her, wishing he had of reacted better.

Lena nodded then walked away.

Four wanted to tell her that he wasn't mad about her transferring, he was just surprised to see her, and surprise immediately turned to concern. She was always strong willed when they were younger, but Dauntless initiation was tough, and he knew the chances were slim that a scrawny girl from Abnegation would stand a chance.

* * *

The initiates were split up, the Dauntless-born went with Tris, while the transfers went with Four, who took them on a tour of the compound, which ended at the dining hall. After the initiates had finished their dinner, Four and Eric took them to the hallway outside of the dormitory. Eric then explained the training process to the initiates, and that he would be overseeing most of their training.

"Training starts tomorrow at eight." Eric said as he began to walk away, then called over his shoulder, "Don't be late."

Lena watched him leave as Four opened the door to the dormitory, allowing the initiates in. She watched as they entered the room, thinking about what Eric had said. Four people would be cut after the first stage of training. _There's no way I'm going to make it_ she thought. Four approached Lena, who had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts she hadn't noticed she was the only one left in the hallway.

"I should probably go-"

"Come with me." Four cut her off, leading her away from the dorm and towards the chasm. He stood at the railing, looking down at the water. He waited a few moments, then asked. "How have you been?"

"Fine." Lena replied, "I thought you didn't want me here."

"It's dangerous here, Dauntless training is dangerous. You should have transferred somewhere safe." Four said, then looked at his cousin, "Why did you choose Dauntless? I always thought you would have chosen Amity."

"I don't know, I guess I thought Dauntless would be more exciting." Lena lied, knowing she couldn't reveal the true reason for her choice, "What's so dangerous about Dauntless, other than the risk of being cut?"

"The initiation process is very intense, on top of that there's the added pressure of being eliminated. Some people can't handle it."

"What are you saying?" Lena asked, with a hint of anger in her voice. If Four could survive initiation then so could she.

"I'm saying be careful, don't draw too much attention to yourself, and don't do too well either. A good job isn't worth being targeted." Four said, remembering what happened after Tris was ranked first, "You should go back now. I'll see you tomorrow."

Lena nodded then left, trying not to worry about what Four had told her.

Lena entered the dormitory, and noticed that most of the initiates had either changed, or were in the process of changing into the clothing that they had been provided. Lena scanned the room for an empty bed, and found one relatively close to the door. Another girl was already there, pulling a black shirt over her head. She was a few inches taller than Lena, and her champagne blonde hair was tied back in a messy ponytail.

"I'm Helly." the girl said, extending her hand, "Do you want the bottom bunk?"

"Lena, and that would be nice, thanks." Lena said, shaking the offered hand awkwardly.

"Good, cause I wanted the top bunk." Helly said with a smile, then climbed onto her bed, "You should change out of your stiff clothes."

Lena opened a drawer under the bottom bunk, and pulled out a plain black t-shirt and a pair of pants. She realised that everyone had changed in the co-ed room, and no one had thought anything of it. Lena hesitated, she had never changed in front of anyone before, but realised she had to do it. If she wanted to be Dauntless she had to blend in. Lena quickly changed her top, not feeling fully comfortable changing in front of strangers.

"Nice legs there, Stiff." Came a voice from behind her as she was changing her pants.

Lean spun around and quickly pulled up the black pants, glaring at the boy. He was fairly tall, and well-built with a muscular frame. His blonde hair was waxed up in a stylish, casual way. He loomed over Lena, resting his hand casually on the top bunk.

"Ramses, shut up and go to bed." Charlotte, who now went by Charlie, snapped from where she was laying on the bed beside Lena's.

"No, I wanna talk to the Stiff some more." Ramses said, sitting on Lena's bed, then gave the space beside him a pat, "Join me?"

"Get off of my bed." Lena said glaring at him.

Ramses grinned, "Relax Stiff, I won't bite."

"Leave her alone." Daniel, who had changed his name to Dante, called from across the room.

"Ooh the Tree-hugger defending the Stiff, how predictable." Ramses mocked, "What are you gonna do about it?"

Dante got off his bed and walked towards Ramses and Lena, glancing at Lena briefly before focusing his attention on Ramses. "It's the first day, do you really want to be making enemies?" Dante asked.

Ramses stood and gave Lena a pat on the shoulder, "We'll talk later, Stiff." He said with an arrogant grin, then walked towards his own bed.

Helly jumped off of the top bunk, "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Lena said, _so much for blending in_ she thought.

Dante glanced at Lena once more, before returning to his own bed, thinking she would be safe in the company of Charlie and Helly.

* * *

"You're late." Jeanine said when Eric entered the simulation room.

"I had to show the initiates around." Eric said, "What's so important anyway?"

"Since you have proven yourself to be incapable of finding any Divergents, I have taken the task upon myself. Eleanor Rinley, the female transfer from Abnegation, is Divergent. I have allowed her to transfer here, so we can learn from her and figure out how to control her Divergence." Jeanine said, "Later on we can use her to weed out any other Divergents in her training class."

"It would be easier for you to see her during the second stage of training, if she lasts that long." Eric said indifferently.

"She will make it through her initiation, you will see to that. If she needs extra help, you will give it to her, and you will befriend her. She won't trust me, but she could grow to trust you." Jeanine instructed, "I want to see her tomorrow."

"I'll bring her around six."

"I'll see you then, try not to be late." Jeanine said, then exited the room.


	5. Training Mistakes

"Have you guys thought about getting a tattoo?" Helly asked, the next morning at breakfast.

"No, tattoos are a waste of points." Katerina replied, then took a bite of her toast.

"And illogical." James, who now went by Jay added, "What purpose does a tattoo serve?"

"Everything doesn't have to serve a purpose." Helly teased, "You could get one that represents something, plus they'll make you look more Dauntless."

"Have you thought about getting one Lena?" Jay asked, remembering why Jeanine had sent him there in the first place. He knew it would be easier to keep an eye on her if he was friends with her.

"Not really, I'm more worried about training." Lena replied, "What do you think we'll do today?"

"Hopefully nothing too dangerous." Helly said, then added in a hushed tone, "Did anyone else hear the crying last night?"

"Do you know who it was?" Katerina asked.

"Wasn't it the boy from your faction?" Helly asked Lena, "What was his name again?"

"Ed." Lena replied, as he entered the dining hall. Katerina and Jay curiously glanced over at him, while Lena and Helly pretended not to notice his entrance.

The table fell silent as Ed approached them and sat down. His straight brown hair was cut short in the Abnegation style. He was tall and thin, with grey eyes and pale skin.

"Hey Ed." Helly greeted to break the awkward silence, "We were just talking about tattoos, were you thinking of getting one?"

He nodded as he grabbed a muffing from the table, "I don't know what I'm gonna get yet."

"Me too, I have no clue!" Helly said, "And it's permanent so it has to be cool."

* * *

At eight Four and Eric gathered the initiates in the gun training room. The initiates stood side by side in a horizontal line, each one facing a target. "This morning you'll learn how to shoot a gun." Four said, handing a gun to each initiate, "In the afternoon you'll learn how to win a fight."

"Are these loaded with real bullets?" Helly asked.

"What else would we -" Eric's words were cut off by an ear shattering bang. Katerina dropped her gun and Eric glared at her, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"It was an accident!" Katerina said, her eyes wide, her heart racing.

Eric approached her and picked up the gun, "You could have gotten someone killed!" He yelled, "Stand in front of a target."

Katerina slowly walked towards the wall and stood in front of a target, her eyes were forward, facing Eric, Four and the other initiates.

"If you manage to stay still I'll consider keeping you in my faction." Eric said, as he aimed the gun at Katerina.

Lena looked at Eric, then at Four waiting for him to say something. Eric clicked the bullet into place, but still Four remained silent. Four locked eyes with Lena who was about to open her mouth to protest and shook his head slightly, giving her a stern look.

Katerina flinched as the first shot was fired with a bang, the bullet landed a few inches above her head. She wanted to look where the bullet had hit, but kept still. Katerina's heart was racing as she waited for the next bullet to come flying at her. Eric shot again without warning, the bullet lodged itself into the wall between Katerina's legs. She fought to keep her breath even, and wondered how many times Eric planned on shooting at her, wishing he would stop. Eric shot again, and the bullet landed in Katerina's shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain and fall to the floor.

"You shot her!" Helly yelled, mortified, "How can you be a Dauntless leader if you can't even aim a gun?"

"What do you mean?" Eric asked casually, "I didn't miss."

All of the initiates stared at Eric in shock. He ignored them as he walked towards Katerina who sad crumpled on the ground, her hand covering her wounded shoulder. "Next time be more careful when holding a loaded firearm." He hissed angrily.

"Enough Eric." Four said, then approached Katerina, "I'm taking her to the infirmary."

Four extended a hand to help her up, which Katerina gratefully took.

"Did I shoot her in the leg?" Eric snapped, as he watched Four help Katerina up. Once Katerina was standing, Four let go of her hand and led her out of the room.

"What are you waiting for?" Eric asked impatiently, as he walked from one end of the room to the other, "Start shooting."

* * *

After lunch Eric and Four led the initiates, including Katerina, into the training room where punching bags were set up. Each initiate lined up behind a punching bag while Four stood in the middle of the room where everyone could see him. They watched carefully as Four demonstrated basic fighting techniques, then left them to practice on their own. Four circled around the room, correcting the initiates as necessary, while Eric scanned the room for Lena.

Lena tensed when Eric walked past her punching bag and stood behind her, after what had happened earlier she didn't want any of his attention on her. She pretended not to notice him and punched the punching bag again.

"You're doing it wrong. Fix it." Eric said, moving so he stood beside the punching bag, facing her.

Lena hesitated, not sure what she was doing wrong. She went to punch again, but Eric grabbed her wrist, stopping her hand just before it made contact with the punching bag.

"Wrap your thumb around your first and second finger." Eric instructed, releasing her wrist, "And keep your wrist straight. I don't expect much from a Stiff but I thought you'd at least know how to throw a punch."

Lena straightened her wrist and changed the position of her thumb. She glanced at Eric who nodded, then swung her fist at the punching bag.

"Better." Eric said, walked towards her, then said quietly so only she could hear, "Stay after training."

"Why?" Lena asked.

"Don't question me." Eric said sternly, then walked away.

* * *

"That's enough for today." Eric said, as he walked towards the middle of the room, "Tomorrow the real fun begins."

Lena watched as everyone left the room, with the exception of Four. Lena sighed relieved, she knew Four wouldn't let anything happen to her.

"Go ahead Four, I'll clean up." Eric instructed.

"You sure?" Four asked, looking from Eric to Lena.

"Yes, now go." Eric said impatiently.

Four gave Lena a sympathetic look, then left the room, wondering what Eric wanted her for. Lena looked at Eric nervously, bracing herself for the worst.

"Relax, would ya? You're not in trouble." Eric said.

Lena sighed and sat on the floor, "Then why am I here?"

"If you think you're tired now wait till tomorrow." Eric said, ignoring her question as he glanced at his watch, he had ended training earlier to give the initiates enough time to clear the halls before they had to meet Jeanine.

"What happens tomorrow?" Lena asked.

Eric sat across from her, "You fight each other. What did you think today was for?"

Lena nodded, as she released her hair from her ponytail, her auburn hair fell in curls against her mid-back. She remembered Four saying something about fighting eachother, but she hadn't realised it would be tomorrow.

"You ever fight before, Stiff?" Eric asked, looking her over.

"No." Lena replied.

"Get up." Eric said as he stood.

"Why? What are you doing?" Lena asked.

"Teaching you how to fight." Eric replied, "Now get up."

* * *

"Hey Kat, how's your shoulder?" Helly asked Katerina, as she and Jay joined her in the dining hall.

"It's not that bad as long as I don't move it." Kat replied, she had attended the second half of the day's training, but couldn't do much with her injured shoulder.

"I still can't believe Eric did that." Helly said.

"She could have shot someone, he was teaching her to be careful." Jay said, then turned his attention to Kat, "He shouldn't have shot you though."

"Are they going to catch you up?" Helly asked.

"I don't know, when Four dropped me off at the infirmary he said that I should at least watch the second half so I don't get too far behind." Kat replied, "What happened in the morning?"

"We just practiced firing, Ramses was the first one to hit the target, which means he's never going to shut up about it." Helly said half jokingly.

"A little jealous are we?" Ramses sneered as he approached the table, then turned his attention to Kat, "I thought Erudites were supposed to be smart, but apparently not."

Kat glared at him, "What do you want?"

"Don't get angry now, you need all the friends you can get, with your little injury. Why did you even bother coming back to training? You should just go join the factionless, I mean there's no way you're gonna last. Mine as well quit wasting everyone's time." Ramses taunted, then went back to his own table.

Kat rolled her eyes, "Was he always that annoying?"

"No, I think he's actually gotten worse." Helly joked.

Eric entered the dining hall, and was followed by Lena. Abi watched as Eric turned around and whispered something in Lena's ear before joining Max at a table.

"Did you see that?" Abi asked Ramses, as she grabbed another hamburger.

"See what?" Ramses asked.

"Eric coming in with Lena." Abi said.

"What about it?" Ramses asked.

"Don't you think it's a little weird? I mean, he corrected her during training too, why would she have to stay late?"

"Who cares?" Ramses said, glancing over at Lena, who had sat with Charlie and Dante, "He probably just yelled at her or something."

"She doesn't look like she just got yelled at." Abi said, "And did you see him correcting anyone else?"

Ramses thought for a moment, "Why would Eric pay so much attention to a Stiff?"

"I don't know, but I wanna find out." Abi said.

"I'll get it out of her tonight."

"Yeah, like she's gonna tell you." Abi said sarcastically, "I'll ask her."

"When you can't figure it out let me know, I can be _very_ persuasive." Ramses said.


	6. Favouritism

Lena entered the dormitory late that night, trying to sneak in unnoticed. She glanced around the room, and saw that everyone was either lying in bed, or changing. Once she saw that Ramses wasn't there she quickly went to her bed and changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top. Once she had finished changing Abi approached her.

"Hey Lena, are you okay?" Abi asked, as she sat on the bed.

"Yeah." Lena replied, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you stayed late with Eric, I mean he _shot_ Kat for making a mistake, I'm surprised he didn't break your hand or something." Abi said.

"It was nothing, he just yelled at me." Lena lied, she didn't understand why she was getting special attention from Eric, but she didn't want it to create any tension between herself and the other initiates. It was bad enough they would have to fight each other during training, she didn't want to have to fight outside of training as well.

"Right. Well good luck tomorrow." Abi said, as she stood, "Hopefully Eric goes easier on you."

"Thanks." Lena said, and wondered if the former Candor actually believed her.

"It's nothing." Abi said with a smile, then retreated to her own bed.

"Well? What'd you find out?" Ramses asked, he had a towel wrapped around his waist and was in the process of putting on a t-shirt.

"Nothing, she lied." Abi replied.

"I'll find out tomorrow." Ramses said.

* * *

The next morning the initiates gathered in the training room. Eric was writing on a board while Four watched the initiates file into the room. He raised an eyebrow at Lena, who had cut her hair to neck length, and pierced her cartilage. Instead of wearing the baggy clothing she had been provided, she was dressed in a tight fitting black t-shirt that revealed a bit of her stomach, with black leggings.

"Since there are an uneven number of you, one of you will be sitting out today." Four said, as Eric stepped away from the chalk board.

Lena was relieved to see that it was Kat who wouldn't be fighting, she had asked Eric the previous night to give her more time to recover, and she smiled slightly seeing that he had complied. Her smile quickly vanished once she saw that she would be against Ramses. _There's no way I'm going to win, even with Eric's extra help_. She thought.

"Dante and Jay are up first." Four announced.

Lena watched as Dante and Jay approached the arena to begin their fight, worried about her own.

Abi approached her with a smile, "Are you nervous?"

Lena nodded, "A bit. What about you?"

"Not really. Helly and I seem evenly matched."

"I wish we didn't have to fight each other." Lena said, she understood why the members of Dauntless needed to know how to fight, but she thought there was better ways than to pit the initiates against each other.

Abi was about to say something when Jay stood up after a blow that knocked him to the ground. Dante and Jay looked between Eric and Four, waiting for them to say something.

"What are you waiting for?" Eric asked impatiently, "Fight each other!"

"When do we stop?" Dante asked.

"When one of you is unable to continue." Eric replied.

"Why can't one of them give up?" Lena asked, partly because she hated watching them fight, but mainly because she wanted the option for herself when she was up against Ramses.

"A brave man never surrenders." Eric said, "Now fight."

Lena sighed and watched the rest of the fight, she knew it was pointless to argue with Eric in public. Lena glanced at Four, and wondered why he didn't intervene. Her attention snapped back to the arena when she heard a thud, and saw Jay crumpled on the ground. He lay motionless for a few moments, then finally sat up. Once Dante and Jay had cleared the arena Four circled Dante's name on the board.

"Next up, Ramses and Lena." Eric announced.

Lena took a deep breath and approached the arena. Ramses stood across from her and smirked, "A little nervous are we, Stiff?" he sneered.

Lena brought her fists to eye level as Eric had taught her, ignoring Ramses's insult. He swung his fists at her, and she jumped to the side, dodging the blows. She bounced on the balls of her feet lightly, prepared to block the next blow.

Ramses glared at her, "What's the matter, Stiff? Afraid to hit someone?"

Lena rolled her eyes, but waited. She didn't care what Ramses called her, after being constantly insulted by her Uncle and Mother insults didn't faze her. Ramses lurched forward, swinging a fist. Lena ducked, dodging the blow and kneed Ramses in the stomach. Lena smirked when Rasmses gripped him stomach and bent forward slightly. She swung her fist, aiming at his face, but he caught her wrist and twisted it behind her back, causing her to whimper in pain. Ramses glanced over at Eric, who was watching the fight intently, glaring at Ramses.

"Why's Eric so upset that you're losing, Stiff?" Ramses hissed in her ear, before shoving her to the ground. Lena landed face first, then quickly rolled onto her back. When she tried to stand up, Ramses tried to kick her in the face, but she blocked it with her hands. Ramses smirked, then kicked her in the ribs, causing her to cry out in pain. Ramses landed multiple kicks to her stomach before he was interrupted by Eric.

"Do you see her getting up?" Eric snapped angrily.

Ramses shook his head, glaring down at her.

"Then stop, she's done." Eric said.

Eric circled Ramses's name on the chalkboard as Lena sat up, her arm wrapped around her side protectively. Ramses smirked and walked away as Four approached her.

"You okay?" He asked as he helped her to her feet. Lena nodded and Four helped her walk from the arena to the other side of the room.

"Walk it off, Stiff." Eric said, motioning his head towards the door.

Lena took the hint and exited the training room, her ribs were sore and each step hurt. Once she made it into the hallway she leaned against the wall and was joined moments later by Eric.

"Lift up your shirt." Eric instructed.

Lena gave him a questioning look, but complied, only lifting her shirt slightly. Eric lifted her shirt higher, then began to examine her abdomen. He looked at the bruises covering her ribs with a slight frown.

"I doubt they're broken." Eric said, releasing her shirt.

Lena nodded as Eric dug around in his pocket, then handed her a key.

"What's that for?" Lena asked.

"My apartment. Get some ice from the kitchen then meet me there." Eric replied.

"But-"

Eric cut her off, "I'm not asking."

* * *

Eric returned to the training room and slammed the door shut behind him. "What are you all standing around for?" He yelled, then glanced at the board, "Helly and Abi, you're up."

Helly and Abi approached the arena. Both girls brought their fists up, protecting their faces. Helly swung a fist at Abi, who blocked it. Both girls circled each other, then Helly kicked Abi in the stomach, causing her to double over in pain. Helly took advantage of the opportunity and elbowed Abi in the face. Abi's head snapped back from the impact and blood began to drip from her nose. Helly gave Abi a moment to recover, and instantly regretted it. Abi charged towards her, punching in every direction. Helly blocked some of the punches, but was hit twice in the stomach and once in the face. She fell to the floor, landing on her back. Abi glanced at Eric, looking for any sign of approval. While Abi was distracted, Helly looped a foot around Abi's ankle, and knocked the unsuspecting girl to the ground. Helly stood up quickly, waiting for Abi to rise. As Abi stood, Helly quickly kicked the girl in the head, hitting her temple. Abi fell to the ground motionless and Helly guiltily knelt beside her, waiting for her to stir. Moments later Abi's eyes opened.

Four circled Helly's name on the board as Abi was helped out of the arena by Helly.

"Next up, Ed and Charlie." Eric yelled, summoning both initiates to the arena.

* * *

Lena glanced at Eric when he entered his apartment. She was lying on his bed, an ice pack resting on her ribs. He held two plates in his hand each containing a hamburger, and tucked under his elbow were two bottles. Eric offered a plate to her as he sat across from her on the bed.

"Thanks." Lena said, as she grabbed the plate.

Eric dropped the bottles on the bed, then opened one and handed it to her, "Ever had a beer, Stiff?"

"No." Lena replied, as she examined the bottle.

"It's not gonna bite you." Eric teased.

Lena smirked, then took a sip. Her face wrenched up in disgust at the taste, "That's awful."

Eric laughed, "The more you drink the better it tastes."

Lena took a bite of her hamburger, then turned her attention to Eric, "What does Jeanine want from me?"

Eric shrugged, "Who knows?"

Lena took another sip from her beer then asked, "Did you stop the other fights early?"

"No." Eric replied, "Why would I do that?"

"Because it's only fair, they should be allowed to quit. There's no point in beating each other senseless after it's obvious who the winner is." Lena said, she understood why they have to fight each other, but she didn't think they had to be so brutal about it.

"And since when are you a Dauntless leader?" Eric snapped, "This isn't Amity, we push ourselves to the limit. If you don't like it then go join Jeanine in Erudite."

Lena sighed and took another sip of her beer, she wondered how much Eric knew about the deal she had made with Jeanine.

"You can go back to the dormitory after dinner." Eric said.

Lena remembered Four's warning about standing out and glanced down at her plate. She suspected that the other initiates knew something was happening with her and Eric, especially Ramses.

"What's wrong, Stiff?" Eric asked.

"Nothing." Lena lied, "I want to go back now."

Eric shrugged, "Be my guest. Just don't come crying to me if something happens."

Lena hesitated, she knew if returned she would have to try to avoid Ramses, and anyone else who had a problem with the attention Eric was giving her.

"I thought you were leaving." Eric said.

"I changed my mind."

* * *

Ramses entered the dormitory and scanned the room for Lena, who was nowhere to be found. The room was empty except for Abi, who was sulking from her lost fight, and Ed who was sitting on his bed. Ramses approached him and sat on the bed across from him.

"Where your little Stiff girlfriend?" Ramses sneered, "Come on, do something useful before you're both cut."

"She's not my girlfriend you pansycake." Ed snapped.

Ramses burst out laughing, "Whatever you say Stiff."

Abi approached the pair, "Do you know where she is?"

"No and I don't care." Ed replied, "She won't even make it past stage one."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. Eric's been spending a lot of time with her." Abi said jealously, "If he wants her to stay she'll stay."

"What do you want me to do about it?" Ed asked.

Ramses grinned, "I'm finding out why tonight, if she ever decides to come back. Who knows, maybe she quit?"

"And if she doesn't tell you?" Abi asked.

"Then we make her so miserable that she wants to quit." Ramses replied.

"Well, are you in?" Abi asked Ed.

Ed nodded, "She's weak, she shouldn't even be here."

* * *

That night Lena entered the dormitory as everyone was getting ready for bed. She approached her bed hoping her entrance went undetected, and groaned when she heard footsteps approach her. She turned and saw Ramses standing beside her, arms crossed.

"Good evening Stiff, how nice of you to join us." He sneered, "Where were you all day?"

"Eric sent me to the infirmary." Lena lied as she glanced around the room and realised all eyes were on them.

"You're lying." Ramses said and stepped towards her, "What does Eric want with an insignificant Stiff like you?"

"I don't know."

"You're almost as bad at lying as you are at fighting." Ramses mocked as he stepped towards her again, "Tell me the truth."

Lean stepped back and glared at him, "It's none of your business."

"I'd leave her alone if I were you." Charlie said from her bed, "You don't know what Eric will do if you hurt her."

Ramses glared at Lena, knowing Charlie had a point. "Better watch your back there Stiff." He threatened before he walked away.

"Thanks." Lena said to Charlie.

"I didn't do it for you, I did it so that Eric wouldn't blame the rest of us for what Ramses would have done."

Lena glanced around the room, most eyes were either on her, or avoiding her gaze.

"You know if you miss Eric so much maybe you should go find him while the rest of us earn our way through initiation." Abi called from across the room jealously.

Lena left the dormitory, and slammed the door on her way out. She walked towards the chasm, arms crossed and eyes on the floor, barely paying attention to where she was going. It wasn't her fault Eric had taken in an interest in her, she knew it was because of Jeanine, but even then she wished he wouldn't be so obvious about it. She slammed into a body, then glanced up and saw that it was Dante. His once messy long hair was cropped short. He had changed out of the provided Dauntless clothing and wore a fitted black t-shirt under a leather biker jacket. His tattered and torn black jeans were tucked into his scuffed combat boots.

"Where are you going so late?" He asked.

Lean opened her mouth then hesitated, she had no clue where she was going. She just wanted to get away from everyone. "I don't know." She finally admitted.

"Are you okay?" Dante asked.

"I'm fine." Lena lied, "What are you doing out so late?"

"Getting a tattoo."

Lena nodded.

"We should go back to the dorm now, it's pretty late." Dante said, he could tell Lena was still upset but knew she didn't want to talk about it.

"I guess you're right." Lean said, as she reluctantly walked back to the dormitory with Dante. She hoped she would be left alone until she could figure out a way to get Eric to be less obvious.


	7. Eliminated

The next day the fighting resumed. Lena was in the first match against Abi, which she won much to Eric's approval. The next fight was the fight Lena was dreading, Charlie against Kat. Everyone knew that there would be no way that Kat was healed enough to stand a chance, but they all knew that Eric would make her fight anyway. Kat and Charlie both entered the arena as Lena approached the wall where Eric stood.

"Don't even try it, Stiff." Eric said.

"But-" Lena said.

"But she's hurt. So what? Are your ribs better?" Eric said, then glanced at Lena, who shook her head. "Exactly. She fights, injured or not. If she tries to quit, she'll be cut."

Lena sighed and crossed her arms, she knew Eric wouldn't change his mind.

Kat and Charlie circled each other in the arena, Charlie kicked Kat in the stomach, which caused the smaller girl to double over, and Charlie took advantage of the opportunity to punch Kat's injured shoulder. Kat cried out in pain as blood pooled from her shoulder, and she quickly brought her hand to her shoulder protectively. Charlie shoved Kat to the ground, which caused her to cry out again.

"Stop!" Kat yelled, as she backed away. Her shoulder throbbed and any movement hurt, "I can't fight anymore, she wins."

"Are you saying you quit?" Eric asked angrily.

Kat slowly nodded.

"Go to the infirmary, get your shoulder fixed then leave. You're cut." Eric said harshly.

"That's not fair!" Kat protested, "You shot me, it's your fault I can't fight!"

"If you had of shot **anyone** in this room they would have been unable to participate in initiation." Eric snapped, "It's your fault for pulling the trigger."

"I didn't even shoot anyone! It was an accident!" Kat argued, "In Erudite we don't get kicked out for making mistakes."

"Does this look like Erudite to you? Get out!" Eric yelled.

Tears welled in Kat's eyes as she stood up and left the room. Eric walked over to the board and circled Charlie's name, indicating her victory.

"Helly and Ed, you're up." Eric announced.

* * *

That afternoon Lena entered the dormitory and immediately saw that her mattress had been tossed onto the floor, and her belongings had been carelessly thrown throughout the room.

"Might wanna pick up after yourself." Ramses sneered and pushed Lena to the ground as he waltzed past her.

Lena glowered at him as Abi and Ed both burst out laughing. The room fell silent when the door opened and Four entered the room.

Four looked around the room and immediately noticed Lena on the floor, as well as the flipped over mattress and clothing strewn across the floor. Lena quickly stood up and crossed her arms, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Listen up," Four said, "Tomorrow we're doing something different. Eric and I will be taking you on a field trip to give you a taste of what kinds of jobs are available to you in Dauntless, I expect you'll tell the others. Before you go to dinner, whose mess is this?"

"Lena's." Abi said with a grin, "Looks like the Stiff doesn't clean up after herself, how _selfish_ of her."

Ramses, Ed and Abi all chuckled at the joke.

"Lena, wanna explain your mess?" Four asked.

Lena shook her head and refused to answer.

"Then you can stay here and clean up while everyone else goes to dinner."

Lena glared at him as Ramses, Abi and Ed left the room snickering. Charlie left indifferently while Helly her a sympathetic look.

"What happened?" Four asked as he put her mattress back into place.

"Don't, I can do it myself." Lena said.

"I'm just trying to help." Four said, "Who did it?"

"I don't want your help." Lena snapped, "I handled Marcus without you and I can get through Dauntless initiation without you. Leave me alone."

"You didn't 'handle' my father, you endured whatever he and your mother did to you." Four said evenly, "And if you think you can get through Dauntless initiation by yourself you have _a lot_ of growing up to do."

Lena glared at him, "I can take care of myself. I don't need your help and I don't want it. You had the chance to help me four years ago but you left. You had your chance and you failed, now leave me alone."

"I failed? What did I tell you the first night? Not to draw too much attention to yourself, and you did just that." Four said angrily, "Why has Eric been spending so much time with you?"

"That's none of your business, _Tobias_. Leave me alone!" Lena said angrily, then stormed out of the room.

* * *

Eric opened the door to his apartment and was surprised to see Lena. Her eyes were red from crying and her arms were crossed.

"What's the matter, Stiff?" Eric asked, as he held the door open for her.

"I - it's nothing, I'm fine." Lena said as she entered his apartment. She glanced at Eric as he closed the door.

"If nothing's wrong then why are you here?"

"I don't know, I should just go..." Lena trailed off, wondering why she had gone to Eric's apartment in the first place.

"Come here, Stiff." Eric said, as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ears, leaned in and kissed her. Lena pushed away from Eric and stared at him, shocked. She had never seen anyone kiss before, let alone been kissed. After a few moments of hesitation Lena wrapped her arms around Eric's neck, pulled him closer and kissed him. Eric returned the kiss as he grabbed her hips and pressed her body against his.

* * *

The next morning the initiates were gathered in the dormitory. Four stood facing them, a chalkboard rested against his leg. "I hope you all had an opportunity to eat. After you see your rank we'll be going directly to the train." Four said as he glanced at Lena who avoided his gaze, "Your rank takes into account everything you've done since you got here. That being said there is plenty of time to improve your standing before stage two."

"Since one of you has already left, only three initiates will be cut after stage one of training. This includes the Dauntless-born as well. You're ranked together, not separately." Eric added, "Which means unless three of you want to get cut, you'd better start working _a lot_ harder."

Four hung the board on a hook and stepped away so the initiates could see their rank.

1. Dante

2. Ramses

3. Charlie

4. Ed

5. Lena

6. Helly

7. Jay

8. Abi

"This includes _everything_, right?" Ramses asked angrily.

"Yes." Four replied.

"Why is Dante ranked first? I've won every fight _and_ I was the first one to hit the target."

"Are you unhappy with the way you're being ranked?" Eric asked angrily, "I don't care, it's not exactly hard to beat a Stiff the size of a twig."

Ramses glared at Lena but kept quiet.

"How can we improve our rank?" Abi asked.

"By beating someone ranked higher than you." Eric replied, as if it were obvious, "Now if there's no more idiotic questions we can go."

* * *

Once they had returned to Dauntless Headquarters Eric pulled Lena aside while everyone else went to the dining hall.

"Feeling better?" Eric asked, tucking a strand of hair behind Lena's ear.

Lena nodded as she leaned against a wall, "Much better." She knew with Dante being ranked first, Ramses would be focusing most of his attention on him.

"Good." Eric said, then kissed her cheek, "Now tell me what happened."

Lena sighed and shifted uncomfortably. She knew she couldn't tell Eric about Ramses, as much as she hated Ramses she feared what Eric would do to him, and what Ramses would do in retaliation. "I got in a fight with Four." Lena said, she didn't think Eric would be too bothered by her fighting with Four.

Eric smirked amused, "You were crying over a fight with your instructor? I get that you're part Amity but come on, that's pathetic."

Lena smiled, "Well, it's more than that. You can't tell him that I told you this, but he's my cousin. We used to be really close, but I haven't seen him since he left. So I guess it's been a little awkward since we've been reunited."

"Interesting." Eric said, "Don't worry Stiff, your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks." Lena said, "And thanks again for last night."

* * *

"Congrats on being first." Charlie said, as she joined Dante in the dining hall.

"Thanks." Dante said.

"Ramses isn't too happy with the results." Charlie said, glancing at Ramses. Ramses kept whispering to Ed and Abi, and had been glaring at Dante for most of the day.

"He doesn't scare me. Besides I'd rather have him target me than those who can't defend themselves."

"You shouldn't protect her." Charlie said, and they both knew who she was talking about, "Whatever's going on with Eric she has to know it's going to lead to jealousy, it's her own fault."

"She can't exactly say no to a leader."

"Either way, she's not exactly deserving of the attention." Charlie said, "You're first, Ramses is second and I'm third. We don't get any extra attention from Eric or Four. It's ridiculous, I bet she's only fifth because he wants her to do well."

"I don't think Four would let him do that." Dante said.

"And what's Four going to do about it?" Charlie asked, "He's only an instructor, Eric's a leader. He can do whatever he wants to. Eric shot Kat and sent her home, did you see Four stopping him? No. If Eric wants Lena to do well, then she will."

"I think if Eric was swaying the rankings in her favour she would be ranked a lot higher." Dante pointed out, "Either way I don't really care who Eric prefers as long as it doesn't affect me."

* * *

Lena entered the dormitory that evening and was joined a few moments later by Charlie. Charlie ignored her as she began changing by her bunk, but paused when she heard muffled movements and turned her attention to Lena.

"Did you hear that?" Charlie asked.

Lena nodded, "Where's it coming from?"

"Boys' bathroom." Charlie said and quickly put on a top, "Let's go."

Charlie entered the boys bathroom, followed by Lena. The girls were shocked to see Dante slumped in Ed's arms, while Ramses and Abi repeatedly hit him, alternating between kicking and punching. Dante's left eye was red and it was beginning to swell.

"Cut it out!" Charlie yelled, "Three against one, how pathetic is that?"

"I think we've made our point clear." Ramses said, and Ed released Dante from his grasp, "Besides, everyone knows _I _deserve to be ranked first. Eric's just mad that I beat his little pet."

Lena glared at him, "Or maybe it's because Dante beat someone who actually stood a change against him."

"Shut up, Stiff, no one's talking to you. At least the rest of us earned our ranks." Ramses snapped, then left the room followed by Ed and Abi.

"Are you okay?" Lena asked Dante, who was leaning against the wall holding his stomach.

"I'll be fine." Dante replied.

"You should get some ice at least." Lena said.

"Where would he get ice from?" Charlie asked with a hint of annoyance.

"The kitchen." Lena replied.

"Oh? And who told you about that?"

Lena looked away, "It doesn't matter, it'll help."

"I think he'll survive without your extra help from Eric." Charlie said.

"I think I'll take you up on the offer." Dante said.

"Come on." Lena said, and led Dante from the room.

* * *

Dante waited in the hallway for the minute it took Lena to get a bag of ice. She handed the bag to him and they both sat with their backs against the wall, and Dante rested the bag of ice on his stomach.

"So, what was it like in Amity?" Lena asked after a few moments of silence.

"It was alright I guess, I wasn't like everyone back there though. I found the whole hugging thing very..." Dante paused, looking for the right word, "Invasive."

"You would have done well in Abnegation then, affection's a big no no." Lena said resting her chin on her knees, "You know, I always wished I could have been in Amity. Everyone seems so kind there."

"Then why didn't you transfer there?" Dante asked.

Lena froze, trying to think of an explanation. She knew she couldn't tell him the truth. "My results were Dauntless." Lena half lied, "So I decided to trust the test."

Dante nodded as he stood up, "I'm going back now. I think you should stay out of the dorm a bit longer, give Ramses more time to cool off."

"I'll see you later then." Lena said, as she watched Dante walk away. She knew Dante didn't believe her, but she was glad that he wasn't pressing her for details.


	8. Secrets Revealed

The initiates entered the training room and checked the board to see who would be fighting against whom. The previous day they had been given a slight break were taught how to throw knives, a skill most of them wondered whether or not they would ever have to use. The first fight was Helly against Jay. Lena wished them both luck, then leaned against a wall to watch the fight, and was joined moments later by Eric, who remained silent.

"This will be an interesting match, don't you think so Eric?" Abi asked as she joined the pair.

"Hardly." Eric said as he kept his eyes on the fight.

"Why not? I meant it's obvious that-"

"You are aware that I'm here to oversee your training and not to listen to your trivial chatter, aren't you? Either shut up and watch the match or go find someone who cares." Eric snapped.

Abi's face fell and Lena smirked as she resisted the urge to chuckle. Lena was about to reprimand Eric when Abi glared at her.

"What are you smirking at, Lena?" Abi asked angrily, "At least I don't need other people to stand up for me in the dorm, I can take care of myself."

Eric's attention shot to Lena, "What's happening in the dorm?"

"Nothing." Lena lied and shot Abi a glare.

"Abi, I'm going to need you to stay late." Eric said, then turned his attention back to the arena.

Abi grinned, "I'd be happy to."

The fight ended with Jay as the winner. Four circled his name on the chalkboard, then called Dante and Ramses into the arena.

Dante and Ramses circled each other in the arena, both boys kept their hands up ready to defend themselves. Ramses rushed at Dante and attempted multiple punches, most of which Dante either dodged or blocked. Dante lurched forward and swung a punch, which was blocked by Ramses. Dante quickly took advantage of the close proximity and looped a foot around Ramses's ankle and pulled it forward. After Ramses landed on the ground he quickly scrambled to his feet as Dante rushed towards him and kicked him in the head. Ramses fell to the ground, motionless. The room was silent as they waited for Ramses to stir. After a few moments Ramses finally opened his eyes, and after he got himself into a sitting position he was helped out of the arena by Dante.

Eric circled Dante's name on the board then called Lena and Charlie for their fight.

* * *

Abi entered the dining hall with a cheeky grin and approached the table where Dante, Charlie and Lena were sitting.

"I had an interesting talk with Eric after training," Abi said to Lena with a mischievous grin.

"Good for you." Lena said.

"It _is_ good for me, I told him how much of a coward you are, constantly hiding behind Dante, talk about pathetic. Maybe now he'll spend time on an initiate worth his attention." Abi sneered.

"You mean like me or Dante?" Charlie asked with a hint of annoyance, "In case you haven't noticed, you're ranked last. The only reason Eric paid any attention to you was probably because you had information on his favourite."

Abi glared at her, "Well who knows, maybe since I helped her he'll increase my ranking. I mean, we all know she's only fifth because he likes her."

Charlie said nothing and Lena glanced between the two girls. "You don't really think that, do you?" she asked, her eyes on Charlie.

"How else do you explain your rank?" Charlie asked.

"By winning most of my fights." Lena replied.

"Or because he wants you ranked highly. Why spend all that time on you just to have you leave?" Charlie said, "You don't deserve your rank or the attention."

"You've seen my fights and you've seen me win. Eric said that Dauntless takes the initiation process seriously, why would he risk his position as a leader to sway the results in my favour?"

"I don't know, Lena. What do you and Eric do during your special time together? There's obviously something going on, so just tell us what it is." Charlie said evenly.

Lena sighed, "There's nothing going on."

"You're lying." Charlie said, "And even if you win your fights, you don't win them fairly. Everyone sees Eric whispering strategy in your ear, and he makes us go easy on you. He's getting you through initiation, so when you do get a spot, you'll have taken it from someone who actually deserves it."

Lena rolled her eyes and left the dining hall without another word. She knew arguing would get her nowhere, but she knew Charlie had a point. Eric _was_ helping her through initiation, but she couldn't exactly turn down the help, and knew if anyone else was offered it they wouldn't turn it down either. She entered the dormitory and was relieved to see no one else there. Normally when she wanted to be somewhat alone she went to Eric's apartment, it was the only place where no one besides him could bother her. She heard the door close and froze as soon as she noticed it was Ramses who had entered the room.

"Well, looks like the little Stiff doesn't have her bodyguards to protect her today." Ramses sneered.

"What do you want?" Lena asked.

"I want to know what's going on with you and Eric, and why my ranking is lowered because of it. Favouritism is a form of deceit, Stiff." Ramses said angrily, then approached the smaller girl.

Lena backed away from Ramses, "It's none of your business what's going on between me and Eric."

"Looks like I'm just gonna have to force it out of you." Ramses said, then shoved Lena to the ground.

* * *

When Eric entered the dormitory he immediately noticed that Ramses had Lena pinned on the ground and was repeatedly punching her stomach.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Eric asked angrily. Ramses immediately stopped punching and stood up. Eric approached Ramses, then punched him the younger boy so hard he fell to the ground. He glanced over at Lena who had sat up. One of her cheeks was puffy and swollen.

Four and Tris entered the dormitory a moment later, shocked.

"What's going on?" Tris asked, then approached Lena and helped the younger girl stand up, "Are you okay?"

Lena slowly nodded and held her stomach, "I'm fine."

"Tris take her to the infirmary. Four get the rest of the transfers to the training room, now." Eric ordered, then turned his attention to Ramses, "And you, come with me."

"Eric, I'm fine." Lena said, she had no clue what Eric had planned, but she knew it wasn't going to be good.

"Infirmary, now." Eric ordered Tris and ignored Lena's protests.

Tris hesitated, then helped Lena out of the room while Four followed closely behind her. Eric yanked Ramses to his feet then shoved him towards the door.

* * *

When Tris entered the training room Eric and Ramses were both in the arena. Four stood against the wall, and Tris stood beside him.

"What's going on?" Tris asked quietly.

Four shrugged, "We're waiting on one more. Is Lena okay?"

"She'll be fine." Tris said, "But I don't think she'll stay in the infirmary long."

Finally the last initiate, Abi, entered the training room and all eyes turned to Eric.

"It has come to my attention that some of you haven't been getting enough fights during practice." Eric said as he paced around the ring, "Apparently some of you have been practicing on weaker targets."

"I don't like where this is going." Tris whispered to Four.

"Well, you're not the only ones who can pick on the weak." Eric said, then stopped in front of Ramses, "You wanted to fight? Let's fight."

Ramses paled as Eric lurched forward and punched him in the face. Ramses was caught off guard, and had no time to block the blow. Eric gave him no time recover as he knocked Ramses to the ground and kicked the boy in the stomach.

"We have to stop this." Tris said.

"We can't." Four said, he glanced around the room of stunned initiates, then noticed Lena sneak into the room, "I thought you took her to the infirmary."

"I did." Tris said.

Lena approached the arena and Four stepped in front of her.

"Out of my way." Lena said.

"I'm taking you back to the infirmary." Four said then placed a hand on her shoulder, "Let's go."

"No." Lena said, then shoved past Four and made her way to the arena. Eric kicked Ramses in the stomach again, and the boy grunted in pain. Lena grabbed Eric's hand before he could strike again and turned him to face her. His back was to Ramses, who lay crumpled on the floor.

"Stop it, Eric." Lena said sternly, before he had a chance to say anything, "Stop. You've proved your point, now that's enough. I'm _fine_."

Eric cupped her face and ran a finger across her swollen cheek, "You don't look fine."

Lena sighed, "Just stop. Beating him up isn't going to make me feel any better, stop."

"Fine." Eric said, then kissed her cheek, "But _only_ because you asked me to."

Four tensed as he watched Eric place his free hand on Lena's hip, he then pulled her closer and kissed her again, this time on the lips. Tris grabbed Four's hand and squeezed it when he took a step forward. "Don't." she whispered.

Lena pulled away from Eric slightly, "Not in front of everyone."

"If anyone touches her again," Eric said to the initiates, "They're out."

* * *

As soon as Eric helped Lena were gone, Four and Tris had ordered the initiates out of the room. Tris offered to help Ramses to the infirmary, but he refused and limped to the dormitory with Ed and Abi's help.

"What was that about?" Tris asked, once they were alone.

Four sighed, "She's my cousin."

"Does Eric know?"

Four thought back to the satisfied smirk Eric had shot him on the way out of the room. "She must have told him."

"What are you going to do?" Tris asked.

"I don't know." Four said as he sat with his back against the wall, "I can't believe she would do something so stupid."

Tris sat across from him and placed a comforting hand on his knee, "You should talk to her, find out what's going on."

Four nodded, "The leaders are in a meeting all evening, she might be in the infirmary."

"Do you want me to take over teaching the transfers?" Tris offered, she knew wouldn't be able to hold herself back if it was her cousin Eric had been all over, and she wasn't about to make Four watch them together every day.

"Let me talk to her first." Four said, then stood up.

* * *

"I can't believe Lena's hooking up with Eric." Abi said angrily after she helped Ramses onto his bed.

"It only makes sense, it's probably the only reason she hasn't been eliminated already." Ramses said angrily, "Eric better keep a close eye on her, because if I get her alone again she's gonna regret the day she was born."

"If you hurt her again you'll be cut, you heard Eric." Abi said, "Can he even date an initiate? This isn't fair, we all have to earn our ranks and she gets to sleep her way to the top."

"I don't know." Ramses said as the other initiates filed into the room.

"Are you okay?" Abi asked as she glanced at Ramses's swollen eye.

"I'm fine." Ramses said angrily, Eric had done a number on his ribs, but he doubted anything was broken.

"You should thank Lena." Dante said, "If she hadn't of stopped him I doubt you'd be able to walk right now."

"You know, you must be really upset right now." Ramses sneered, and winced as he sat up, "I mean, with your little girlfriend dating Eric. You wasted all that time defending her and she goes running off with him. How sad."

"I'd watch what you say." Charlie warned, "You're not exactly in a position to defend yourself."

Ramses glowered at her but kept his mouth shut.

* * *

Four entered the infirmary where Lena sat on one of the beds with her legs crossed. Four crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Why didn't you tell me about Ramses?" Four asked.

Lena shrugged, "I didn't want you to make a big deal out of it."

"So you told Eric instead?"

"Abi told him, it's her fault." Lena said, "Well, I guess technically it's my fault, I should have stopped him sooner."

"How long have you and Eric been...hooking up for?"

Lena blushed and looked down, "A couple of days..."

Four nodded, "Why?"

Lena glanced up at him, "Why what?"

"Why are you with him? You saw what he did to Kat, and now Ramses. Do you really want to be with someone like that?" Four questioned and watched his cousin intently.

"I-" Lena paused and thought for a moment, "I know what he's done, but he hasn't done anything to me, he's been helping me."

"Helping you how? By giving you extra attention and making everyone jealous? He's using you, Lena." Four said with a hint of anger, "Did you tell him we're related?"

Lena bit her lip and nodded.

Four sighed, "He's using you to get back at me, and if you're not careful you're going to get hurt."

"Why would he do that?" Lena asked.

"Because I was ranked first in our initiation, and he was ranked second." Four replied, "You've seen what jealousy does in Dauntless, what it leads to."

"But he didn't know we were related when we started." Lena argued.

"You have two options. Either you end it with him, or I will." Four said.

"You can't make me break up with him." Lena said, "He's a leader and you're just an instructor, there's nothing you can do about it."

Four was about to say something when Eric entered the room, he grinned at Four, "You can go now, she'll be fine with me."

Four left without another word and Eric closed the door after him.

"Are you ready to go?" Eric asked.

Lena shook her head, "I have a question first."

Eric leaned against the door, "Ask away."

"Are you just using me?" Lena asked, "I mean, are you only being nice to me because of Jeanine?"

"No, why would I do that?" Eric asked as he approached her and sat beside her on the bed.

"Well, the first time you asked to see me you took me to see Jeanine, so I just thought..." Lena trailed off.

"Yes, the _first_ time. Have you seen her since?"

Lena shook her head.

"Jeanine has nothing to do with us." Eric said then pulled Lena into his arms, "I don't know what Jeanine wants with you, but there's no way I'd kiss someone because some know it all from Erudite told me to."

Lena smirked and rested her head against Eric's chest.

"Is that what Four wanted?" Eric asked, "To tell you not to see me?"

"No." Lena lied, "He just wanted to make sure I was okay."

* * *

The next morning the initiates gathered in the training room where Eric and Lena talked in hushed voices. They were surprised when they noticed Tris writing names on the chalkboard instead of Four.

"What happened to Four?" Abi asked.

"That's none of your business." Eric snapped, "Now let's get started."

Before he could continue the door to the training room opened and a woman who looked about forty-two entered the room. Her peroxide blonde hair was cut in a pixie style, buzzed on one side with a sweeping fringe on the other. She was tall and muscular with dark green eyes.

Eric looked caught off guard, "Janey, what are you doing here?"

"There's been a slight change of plans. Training is cancelled for today. Four and the Dauntless-born initiates will be joining you shortly. You have the option to remain here and improve your fighting skills with your instructors and Eric, or you may enjoy your day off." Janey said, "And I need Lena to come with me."

Lena looked at Eric confused, "What's going on?" she whispered.

"Now Lena." Janey snapped before Eric had a chance to answer.

Lena slowly approached Janey who placed a hand on her shoulder and half led half pushed the girl towards the door and out of the room.


	9. Investigation Results

Four entered the room, followed by the Dauntless-born initiates. Once everyone was settled the initiates were gathered in a semi-circle facing their instructors and Eric.

"It seems that you have two options for today." Eric said in a bored drawl as he examined his nails, "You can stay here and practice, or you can get lost."

"Anyone who wants to leave, should leave now." Four added.

All of the transfers remained, and only a handful of Dauntless-born initiates left.

"And here I thought I'd get the day off." Eric said, "Make two lines, Dauntless-born on one side, transfers on the other."

The initiates quickly separated into two line, the line of transfers was slightly shorter than the Dauntless-born line.

"There's only seven transfers? How pathetic." One of the Dauntless-born girls scoffed. She had an athletic build and was very toned, with golden blonde hair tied back in a pony tail.

"There _was _nine." Eric said, "But not everyone can handle stage one."

"So two of them dropped out? Fine by me, less competition later on."

"Lena is with the other Dauntless leaders." Tris explained

"Wait, is she the girl my sister saw you with last night?" The girl questioned Eric.

"That's enough Lexa." Tris said, before Eric could intervene.

Lexa sighed but kept her mouth shut.

"Today we've decided to pair you up. As much as we can a Dauntless-born initiate will be partnered with a transfer." Four said, "Once you've received your partner you'll grab a punching bag with your partner and help each other improve."

"Yeah, like we need their help." Lexa scoffed.

"In the past few years, more transfers than Dauntless-born members have placed first." Four said, and gave Lexa a pointed look, "Helly and Adam, pick a punching bag."

Four continued to assign partners until everyone was paired up, and had chosen a punching bag to work on.

"The Dauntless-born have been training for stage one their entire lives." Eric said to the transfers, "Since they're already _so_ much better than you are, I'd imagine you'd want to learn from them."

"I thought Four said transfers always place higher?" Helly asked.

"They do. In stages two and three." Four said.

"Enough chatting. Get to work or get out." Eric snapped.

"He seems to be in a worse mood than usual." Helly's partner, Adam said, he held the punching bag while Helly worked on her punching.

"I think it's because he doesn't know what's going on with Lena." Helly said.

"Who's Lena?" Adam asked. His dark brown hair was wavy and rather short, in a messy style. He had dark green eyes with tan skin.

"The girl Lexa was talking about earlier." Helly replied, "Yesterday he beat up an initiate, I assume it was because he had roughed her up first. But, Eric kissed her then in front of all of us then said if anyone touches her they're out."

Adam's eyes widened in shock, "Seriously? That can't be right, guys like Eric don't exactly _protect_ the weak. If anything they prey on them."

"She's not exactly weak, she's ranked fifth." Helly said.

"Let's just put it this way, we're _all_ weak compared to Eric." Adam said, "I wonder what the leaders are gonna do. If it was an instructor dating an initiate, the initiate would be kicked out and the instructor would be fired. But Eric's not an instructor."

Helly nodded, "I guess we'll see when she gets back."

* * *

After an hour had passed Janey returned to the training room and asked Eric to go with her. A few minutes later Lena entered the room and everyone's attention immediately shifted to her.

"Lena, over here." Four called.

Lena walked over to Four, who took her to an isolated corner of the room to talk.

"What happened?" Four asked.

"Oh, you mean other than the fact that I wouldn't break up with Eric so you tattled on me?" Lena asked annoyed.

"I was just trying to protect you Lena, I did it for your own good."

"I don't need you to protect me, Four." Lena crossed her arms and added quietly, "I can make my own decisions, it's not like this is Abnegation and we have to worry about Marcus. Which, by the way you sounded _just_ like him. 'I did it for your own good' more like _your_ own good because you hate Eric. What are you gonna do, get out your belt and whip me if your plan backfires? Just leave it alone, I know what I'm doing."

Four sighed, "No, you really don't know what you're doing. If you did we wouldn't be doing this right now."

"He won't hurt me so I don't care if you don't like him. You don't get a say in this." Lena said, then turned on her heel and left the training room. She wished her cousin would just leave her alone long enough for her to figure out what was going on and whether or not it would be safe enough to tell him anything. She wanted to believe Eric when he said he wasn't using her, but she couldn't help but trust her cousin.

* * *

"Wait, so was that her? Lena, as in the friend that's screwing Eric? Huh, I expected... Better." Adam said, as they watched Lena exit the room.

"Like better how?" Helly asked.

"Eric could've chosen a more...desirable girl to favour. Like you for instance." Adam said with a wink.

Helly grinned, "I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that. I'm also gonna pretend I didn't enjoy it."

"Eh you love it sweetheart." Adam teased, "Besides, you're stronger than she looks. I'm reserving judgement but she seems... Average."

"You wait, my friend, there's more than meets the eye." Helly said, "She's ranked fifth, and she did beat me in a fight."

"Makes you wonder what Eric wants, doesn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Helly asked.

"People like Eric don't do things without a reason." Adam said, "And knowing Eric his intentions probably aren't good."

* * *

After lunch the initiates gathered in the training room, where Janey stood waiting for them.

"Good afternoon initiates." Janey greeted, "You will have the afternoon off, as do your instructors and Eric. You will be free to continue training on your own, but you will not be assisted in anyway."

"What's going on?" Adam asked.

"It has come to our attention that Eric has been romantically involved with an initiate in your class." Janey explained and all of eyes turned to Lena, "As he himself is not an instructor, you can be assured that Four has assigned your ranks fairly. Our concern during the investigation was primarily for her safety. As we have discovered no foul play, the relationship will be allowed to continue. However, Eric will not be able to eliminate you for harming Lena. But, he may still kick you out for acts of cowardice or failure to meet any training requirements."

"There's no way the Stiff actually earned her rank." Ramses hissed under his breath.

"If you have any complaints with how you have been ranked, I suggest you take that up with your instructor." Janey said to Ramses, then left the room.

The Dauntless-born initiates left shortly after Janey did, seeing no reason to remain. Lena was on her way out when Ramses grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the room where most of the transfers remained.

"I don't think so, whore." Ramses sneered, he shoved Lena who stumbled backwards and bumped into Dante's chest.

"Back off Ramses." Dante said, as he caught Lena, then moved her behind him, shielding her with his body, "Or have you forgotten what happened the last time you hurt her?"

"I don't see Eric around, do you?" Ramses snapped, "Oh wait, I get it now. You're protecting her cause she's screwing you too, isn't she?"

"Enough." Came a voice from the doorway, and everyone turned to see Four standing there with his arms crossed. None of the initiates had noticed his entrance, "Everyone out. And to explain your rank, Ramses. You're ranked second because you were against opponents who had proved to be weaker than Dante's opponents. Since you _lost_ to him recently, don't expect to see any improvement."

Lena left the room, and was on her way to look for Eric when Helly pulled her aside.

"Hey, can we talk?" Helly asked.

"I was actually on my way to Eric's." Lena said.

"Look, Lena, if you wanna hook up with the biggest douche bag in this place, it's fine with me, but I still hate the guy. This could get you into all kinds of trouble, Lena, you get that right? It makes you a target, so the second he's not around to protect you, you're going to be annihilated. Just like Ramses almost did." Helly warned, then added with a smile, "I'm gonna have to keep an eye out for you now, you wonderfully stupid girl."

Lena smiled, "Thanks, but you're not really a match for Ramses. Besides, Ramses really isn't all that scary, the worst he can do is hurt me, and I'm not afraid of being beat up."

"Then you're crazy." Helly teased, "But seriously, you need to be careful. You don't know how far he'll go to prove a point.

Lena shrugged, "I'll be fine, Ramses isn't really that bad. Besides, it's not like I spend much time in the dorm anymore anyway."

"Yeah, where were you last night?" Helly asked.

Lena smiled slightly, "Where do you think?"

"Wait, you _slept_ with Eric?" Helly asked, shocked.

Lena burst out laughing, "No! Well, technically yes, but we didn't, do _it_ we just slept."

"That's not very Stiff-like of you. I mean, I thought the most you could was tie teach other's shoes, or 'accidentally' brush hands while making dinner or whatever it is that Stiffs do." Helly teased.

"Don't be ridiculous, Eric's not a Stiff, and neither am I anymore." Lena said with a laugh, "Besides, there was a reason I left. I never got the whole "no affection" thing."

"So you left to make out with a Dauntless leader?"

"I'm leaving now." Lena said with a grin, "I'll see you later."

* * *

So, this chapter was a lot shorter than expected. And the next chapter will start on visiting day, meaning that there will be a bit of a time jump. One initiate will be eliminated, which will be decided via poll. I suggest you vote. Any initiates not on the poll will be ones who realistically wouldn't be in danger of being eliminated or are too important to the plot to eliminate.


End file.
